


Sic Erit In Fatis

by spirithorse



Series: Tales from Britannia [8]
Category: Code Geass
Genre: Alternate Universe - Temeraire Fusion, M/M, Voltron au
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-09-28
Updated: 2016-09-28
Packaged: 2018-08-18 09:44:21
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 12,938
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8157727
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/spirithorse/pseuds/spirithorse
Summary: One-shots written for Suzalulu Week 2016 to celebrate the anniversary of Zero Reqiuem.





	1. The Loud Blast that Tears the Skies

**Author's Note:**

> Title from from the Latin for "So it was fated."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’ve Temeraired again, send help. Title taken from _Rule Britannia_. Written for the prompt "yellow".

Suzaku started awake to the sound of a deep rumbling cough. He stumbled to his feet, groping for the lantern that he had kept on the table. He glanced at it just long enough to check if the oil was full before leaning close to blow gently on the wick before setting off towards the large lump that took up the clear spot in the gardens.

He hooded the lantern slightly, just enough to see which dragon that he would be going to. Shinkiro had raised his head, but the Celestial wasn’t coughing, and hadn’t been for a few hours. A rime of snot and mucus was around the Celestial’s nostrils, but that was it. Suzaku hoped that meant that some of the medicines that they had been pouring down the dragons’ throats were working. If it wasn’t curing them, then it was at least helping the disease from progressing.

Shinkiro gave him a slow blink before the dragon rested his head on his companion. It was a sign of how exhausted that Shinkiro was that he didn’t seem to care that his head was resting on a moving object, because Lancelot had started coughing again.

Suzaku picked his way around to the Malachite Reaper’s head, biting his lip as he watched his dragon cough and hack up a glob of saliva. He waited until Lancelot was done before going over to the dragon’s jaws to look at the mess. Suzaku breathed a sigh of relief when he couldn’t see any blood in the mucus.

He let the lantern drop to his side as he pressed his head against the side of Lancelot’s. Suzaku got a groan that could have been pain or pleasure, he couldn’t tell. He hadn’t been able to do anything much for Lancelot during the course of his illness, aside from coax medicines down his throat and mop at the dragon’s mouth, but he was sure that the presence of his captain helped Lancelot a bit. After all, he had been the one constant in Lancelot’s life, not that it had been long. The Malachite Reaper had just barely made his full growth, had only been out of the shell for half a year, and now there was every possibility that he could die.

Suzaku muttered a curse under his breath, reaching up to rest his hand against Lancelot’s scales. His fingers traveled the familiar path to the smaller and softer ones around Lancelot’s eyes, rubbing them in a vain attempt to calm the two of them. Suzaku hadn’t been calm since the surgeon had come through the covert at Aries Villa with the announcement that there was a plague and that all dragons would be quarantined in their own coverts until further notice. The rest of the news had come piecemeal.

Only the Britannian dragons had the plague, the ones that had come over at the start of the year had gotten it first with the younger dragons resisting the disease the longest. It hadn’t been noticed at first, because everyone thought that it was just a flu that was going around. Considering the panicked flight from Edinburgh and reestablishment in the American colonies, everyone had almost expected the dragons to get sick, but none of them had gotten better. The native dragons had continued on without a problem, which should have been their first clue, but no one had bothered to look at it until it was too late.

The queen was too busy worrying about Napoleon and the threat that he was causing by attempting to ally with the Incan Empire to the south or the rumors that he was going to bring the battle to her for the final blow she had managed to give to him as the last of the English dragons had fled.

Suzaku could almost sympathize with Napoleon on that point considering that he’d had to watch the agonizing death of Lung Tien Xiang from poisoning. But at least that had only take two days if the newspapers were right. Suzaku had been watching Lancelot waste away for months.

He winced as Lancelot coughed again, hating the way that sound rattled in the dragon’s throat. He would have to coax and prod Lancelot to get up and get some water soon, just to soothe his throat for the time that it would take him to start the fire beneath the gigantic kettle that had been placed close to the clearing.

At the start of this whole mess it had bubbled away nonstop to make tea for the dragons, but everyone had slipped. They were all exhausted, ground crews and crew alike. Considering that only three of the dragons had a proper full crew that had been shared out among the other dragons of the wing he wasn’t surprised that they were sleeping like the dead.

He sighed and patted Lancelot’s face, trying to get himself to move away from the dragon. He knew what he had to do, but he was so tired that he was sure that he could fall asleep leaning against the dragon.

As soon as the sun rose, a courier on foot would come into the covert to relate the news of the day to the prince, which would include the names of the dragons who had died in the night. Half of the dragons who had made it over the ocean were already gone, leaving them the younger dragons and the ones in the shell. Suzaku doubted that they would manage to catch the native dragons unless they stole the eggs, which would be more difficult considering the knee jerk reaction had been to trap and kill the native dragons to keep the plague from spreading. It had been a stupid move, but Suzaku was sure that the government would never admit it. In their declining years, the queen and her consort had to be seen as right, and Suzaku was sure that Charles zi Britannia wouldn’t point the finger of fault at his mother and father. Lelouch might call out his entire family, but he was probably too worried about the entire wing to think ahead.

Suzaku lifted his head from his dragon’s scales as he heard the sound of footsteps. He pressed his hand more firmly against Lancelot’s scales as the dragon grumbled, the pressure enough to stop the Malachite Reaper from moving.

Shinkiro lifted his head from Lancelot’s back, shifting slightly so his head would be level with the human that was approaching. “Lelouch.”

The prince gave his dragon a tight smile, reaching up to rest his hand against Shinkiro’s nose. The Celestial made a content sound, one that quickly turned into a series of coughs. Lelouch flinched back at the sound, letting Shinkiro work through the coughing fit before stepping away. Shinkiro didn’t seem to notice, he just coiled himself around and over Lancelot more before falling back asleep.

Lelouch stared at the two dragons for a moment more before coming over to Suzaku. Suzaku shifted the lantern to his other hand, holding his arm out to allow Lelouch to tuck himself against his side. Lelouch immediately dropped his head to rest on Suzaku’s shoulder. Suzaku closed his arm around Lelouch, holding the prince close. “Did I wake you up?”

Lelouch shook his head, his hair tickling Suzaku’s neck. “I was already up. I just waited for you to leave before going out to get the water boiling again. Should have been Jeremiah’s watch.”

The accusation didn’t have any heat in it. Siegfried was the oldest dragon in the wing and the one that was doing the worst. Suzaku doubted that Jeremiah even slept in his cot any longer. The last time he had seen the man, Jeremiah had been sprawled on Siegfried’s foreleg, one arm flung over his eyes. Siegfried’s crew had been split between other clearings, the men trying to fill in the gaps in their workforce.

Lelouch sighed, leaning more of his weight against Suzaku. “I made a quick circle of the clearings. It’s all the same.”

Suzaku squeezed Lelouch more tightly. At least the phrase held some hope, because it meant that their small wing was still there. Suzaku dreaded the morning that he woke up and found out that one of the dragons had died. He didn’t know what he would do if he woke up and found that Lancelot had died.

He looked over at where the Malachite Reaper was snuffling, like he was trying to sneeze. Suzaku nudged Lelouch back, worried with the way that the prince went without a comment. He looked down at Lelouch, surprised to see him still awake. He was staring at the two dragons with the familiar blank look that everyone at Aries Villa had adopted. Even Kallen had stopped raging and settled into a dull silence.

Suzaku turned his head, looking over the clearings until he spotted the bright red of Guren’s scales. He couldn’t see any movement save for the steady rise and fall of the crossbreed’s sides, which was good enough for him.

He shivered as Lelouch turned his face into his neck, his lips brushing against Suzaku’s skin. “Let’s go to bed.”

Once upon a time that would have been an invitation, but there was nothing inviting about the phrase anymore. The two of them were too excited and too worried to do anything more than sleep and startle away when one of the dragons started coughing too hard.

He nudged Lelouch back in the direction of the small lean to that had been set up towards one side of the clearing. “Go on. I’ll make sure that they get the tea.”

Lelouch mumbled something that might have been agreement, and then he was peeling himself away from Suzaku’s side. Shinkiro opened one eye as his companion stumbled by, but the Celestial didn’t rouse himself. Shinkiro stared off into the distance, Suzaku watching the Celestial carefully. Just because the Celestial wasn’t his companion anymore didn’t mean that he couldn’t be worried. As far as he knew, Shinkiro was one of the three remaining Japanese Celestials left and he could just imagine what would happen if he died. The treaty with Britannia was still too new to live through the death of the gift offered to them. As far as Suzaku knew, everyone in Japan would accuse Britannia of mishandling the great honor bestowed upon them, despite the fact that there was nothing that they could do.

There had been a recent rumor that Dorothea might have a cure to the plague, considering her distant connections to the Tswana. From what the courier had told them months ago, she had been sent off with a wing of dragons to test and secure the cure. If she managed that, then Suzaku was sure that the queen would promote her to a Knight of the Round, propriety be damned. As far as Suzaku knew, the whole Aerial Corps would rise up if Dorothea wasn’t promoted. The prospect of a cure was too good to turn down.

Suzaku just hoped that Kaguya had weathered the trip safely. Lelouch had sent her off at the first hint of a search for a cure, something that Suzaku was relieved about. Kaguya was the closest thing to his family that he had left, and he was sure that he would have gone mad if he had had to watch her _and_ Lancelot die a slow and painful death.

He started back towards where the kettle was boiling over an open fire, stopping when he saw a dragon raise its head up. Suzaku recognized Ganymede from his blue scales and the spurs of bone that stuck out from either side of the Longwing’s jaw. Ganymede twisted and turned his had like he was trying to pinpoint something before he focused in on whatever was coming.

Guren was the next to raise her head, the heavyweight staring off in the same direction as Ganymede was. Suzaku eyed the two of them before turning around in a slow circle, watching as the rest of the wing raised their heads, both Ignerna and Etatis having to rise unsteadily up on their hind legs to stare up at the sky.

Suzaku glanced back at Shinkiro and Lancelot, surprised to see that they had taken an interest in whatever was coming. He gave the two of them a long look before turning in the direction that the dragons were looking in.

At first he couldn’t see anything, but slowly two dots in the sky resolved themselves.

Suzaku felt his heart start to beat faster. No dragons had been flying lately, almost all of them had been grounded and the native dragons had started to avoid any place that the Britannians were. He couldn’t think of many other dragons unless he was seeing a last desperate flight of the British Aerial Corps as they sent their newest hatchlings away. He braced himself for the sound of noisy hatchlings, surprised when he heard someone bellowing out his name.

“Suzaku!”

He squinted, trying to pick out colors in the lightening sky. That they were dragons he was sure, but it took him a while longer to make out the grey scales of the smaller dragon in the lead. Suzaku watched as the dragon looped back over herself as she flew, the dragon probably making a quick check of the clearings as she flew before she came plowing to the ground. “Suzaku!”

He took two stumbling steps forward and, before he could stop himself, he had wrapped his arms around Kaguya’s muzzle. The dragon practically purred as she butted his chest, rocking the two of them back and forth. Suzaku squeezed her close to him before he abruptly let go and stumbled back. “You can’t be here.”

Kaguya puffed herself up, the effect somewhat ruined by the fact that she didn’t have her usual silk wrapping twined around her. “You’ll find that I can. And I expected a better welcome, especially with what I’ve been through. Storms, unbearable company, coughing for months and sampling every kind of medicine combination that the Tswana and the surgeons could come up with. I fly all the way back to get this kind of welcome.”

She flicked her tail and flounced off, probably to help herself to the tea. Suzaku didn’t even try to stop her, not when he was watching the second dragon sail into the yard.

The heavyweight was golden brown, the light from the sunrise and the fires set up around the clearings catching on the purple underside of the dragon and its wings. The dragon didn’t bother to look at him, instead swinging his head from side to side as he looked at the Britannian dragons. Its lip twitched up, Suzaku not sure if the dragon was disgusted or if it wanted to growl at the dragons. In the end, it did neither, the heavyweight just lowered himself to the ground to allow one of the people on his back to slide off.

The woman bounced when she hit the ground, turning around in time to catch one of the bags that had been thrown over the dragon’s sides. She called up to the other people on the dragon’s back in a language that Suzaku didn’t recognize, and it wasn’t until she turned around that Suzaku recognized her from the few times that he’d been at the royal court.

“Dorothea.” Suzaku turned to look over his shoulder, surprised to see Lelouch standing there. The prince didn’t look much better than he had a few minutes before, but he didn’t reach out for Suzaku. Lelouch wouldn’t until Dorothea and the dragon had left.

The woman bowed as best she could with the bags in her arm. She was quick to set the bag down on the ground, taking a step away from it. Suzaku couldn’t blame her, the bag reeked. Dorothea gestured to it, obviously trying to keep a grin off her face. “There’s instructions on how to use them in the bag along with a plea to grow them if you can, although I doubt you can do it here. That should be enough to get you until we can start production.”

Lelouch stepped close to the bag, not seeming to care about the smell. He opened it up, Suzaku getting a glimpse of ugly mushrooms before Lelouch closed the bag again. “Thank you.”

Dorothea gave another bow, although this time she held Lelouch’s gaze. “Don’t forget your promise.”

“I won’t. I think the entire Corps will send letters in to the queen.”

Dorothea grinned and turned on her head, walking back to where the heavyweight had gotten into a staring contest with Guren. “Tau!” She broke into a different language, the dragon nodding and getting to his feet.

He reached out to offer her a hand, Dorothea stepping up onto it to be placed on the dragon’s back. Tau turned even as she clipped into his harness, the heavyweight leaping into the air.

Suzaku braced himself as the air from the first beat of the dragon’s wings rushed over him. He took a step back under the force, looking over at where Lelouch was crouched over the bag of mushrooms. The prince was digging into the bag, pulling out a piece of paper even as some of the crews ran over.

The prince didn’t wait for them to cross the distance between them. He strode away from the bag, shouting the orders from the paper. There was a mad scramble at the first order, Suzaku watching in a strange state of confusion as the crews started to try and carry them out. It was a mess, but Suzaku doubted that anyone would curb them considering the state of the dragons. They had spent months waiting for the first to die, but now they had a chance.

He was surprised to find himself smiling, Suzaku turning away from the disorganized rush of ground crew and crew members. He saw Kaguya talking with Shinkiro, not seeming to care that the Celestial was slow to answer or that he kept ducking his head to nudge Lancelot. She just seemed pleased to be back among the wing.

Suzaku took a deep breath, coughing at the lingering smell of mushrooms. He supposed that he would be getting used to them, because they would be around for a while. Dorothea might have suggested that they couldn’t grow their own supply, but that didn’t meant that it would stop Lelouch, not when the prince could finally do something after months of helplessness. And he didn’t blame him.

He turned on his heel and headed towards the mass of crewmen and captains, ready to plunge into the madness and see where he could help. He would do anything if it meant a single night when he didn’t have to hear Lancelot coughing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> _Current Dragons in the Wing:_  
> [Shinkiro - Male Celestial – Lelouch vi Britannia](http://naominovik.com/wiki/Celestial)  
> [Lancelot - Male Malachite Reaper - Suzaku Kururugi](http://naominovik.com/wiki/Malachite_Reaper)  
> [Ganymede - Male Longwing - Milly Ashford](http://naominovik.com/wiki/Longwing)  
> [Siegfried - Male Berghexe - Jeremiah Gottwald](http://naominovik.com/wiki/Berghexe)  
> [Igerna - Female Roi-de-Vitesse - Shirley Fenette](http://naominovik.com/wiki/Roi-de-Vitesse)  
> [Etatis - Female Grey Widowmaker - Rolo Haliburton](http://naominovik.com/wiki/Grey_Widowmaker)  
>  Guren - Female [Kazilk](http://naominovik.com/wiki/Kazilik)/[Regal Copper](http://naominovik.com/wiki/Regal_Copper) cross - Kallen Kozaki  
> [Lady Kaguya Sumeragi (this breed of dragon and relative position)](http://naominovik.com/wiki/Lady_Arikawa)  
> Tau – Male Tswana dragon – Dorothea Ernst


	2. Through the Marshes

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Going through the marshes or a similar phrase was an Ancient Egyptian euphemism for sex. Written for the prompt "the heart may forget, but the body remembers).

There were times when Lelouch was relieved that Rolo slept so heavily. He adored his little brother and understood why Rolo stuck so closely to his side. The two of them had had a hard enough time settling in Area 11 after its colonization and Rolo had always been a shy boy, but there were times he wanted to be alone. The times were rare enough, which was much to his relief.

There were plenty of other things for him to do, like his homework or ride out to another chess match to gamble. Either of those were far more profitable than lying in bed with his hand around his cock.

Lelouch bit his lip, sucking in a quick breath on an upstroke. Even with Rolo fast asleep, he didn’t dare make any noise. It was embarrassing enough that this happened, he didn’t want anyone to come running in and see him like this. Everything in his life was about perfect and careful control, but that never came during these times. It was an animal all to itself, taking him over until he could think of nothing but the throbbing in his cock and how good it felt to be racing to relief.

It was never coherent, it was just the need to seek out pleasure and sometimes the half remembered idea of another body against his.

Lelouch was sure that it was just the pieces of a dream, because he had never slept with anyone in his life. But there were times when it was so vivid.

A strong male – and it was always male – body that loomed over his. It was never threatening but calming and exciting. He was held down because he wanted to be, because it felt good to have another person moving against him, another person’s fingers slipping over his skin and coaxing more sounds out of him. Of lips pressed against his own, his neck, wrapped around his cock the same way that his hand was.

And all the while bright green eyes that looked up at him.

Lelouch’s breath hitched, his hand slowing down for a moment as he imagined them staring up at him. He let out his breath, feeling it shake on the exhale as he started to stroke himself again.

It was so much better with the imagined man, the one who leaned over him and curled his own fingers around Lelouch’s dick. He barely bit back a whimper, his eyes fluttering shut at the imaginary touch.

The man’s hand would be strong and rough, with callouses that produced a delicious friction. But he would be gentle despite his concentration, and that was enough to make him shake.

The man would always be gentle, especially with him. Better than that, he would _know_ Lelouch, know him completely.

He would know exactly where to touch, where to bite down to make Lelouch whimper to have to cut off a moan. He would have known how to slide fingers into Lelouch and open him up, would know just the right angle to curl his fingers in to make his whole body light up.

Lelouch slid his free hand down to his thigh, curling his fingers into the flesh there. It was tempting to slide his hand all the way down and slip his fingers in. At least then he could continue the fantasy of the man stretching him open and then pressing into him. All the while whispering to him, half-heard words with a familiar Japanese lilt to the words.

And, over all of that, his name said in awe as the L’s dissolved into R’s.

He jerked at that, Lelouch biting down on his lip as he came hard. He couldn’t shout from fear of waking up Rolo and because there was the edge of a name on the tip of his tongue, one that he didn’t want to say. Something in him rebelled against naming his fantasy man, because then it would make it real. But there was something else, something deeper that urged him to just forget it all. It would be so easy to listen to that voice because he was wrung out and exhausted, but Lelouch wanted to hold on to the fantasy for a little while longer.

He rolled over onto his side, groping for the box of tissues with one hand. Lelouch cleaned himself up quickly, his eyelids already drooping. He rolled himself up into his blankets, the idea of the man still lingering in his mind.

It was easy enough to imagine the man snuggling up to him, nuzzling into the back of his neck with a contented sigh and a warm arm draped over his stomach. Lelouch reached down, drifting off to the imagined, gentle kisses to the back of his neck even as his fingers met nothing and fell empty and loose on the sheets beneath him.


	3. To Root Thy Native Oak

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> More Temeraire AU, just ‘cause. Title taken again from _Rule Britannia_. Written for the prompt “Fighting for peace is like screwing for virginity” - George Carlin.

Lelouch had expected to spend his days in the old capital in New York or in the new capital that his father was building for the day that the queen and king consort died and the throne passed to him. Maybe he would have made a few slap dash flights across the country, or taken the months long journey to France depending on how the war went. 

It would have been a sedentary life, one spent arguing with the Senate or going to parties to start earning the favor of the people he needed to sway the Senate his way. Never in his wildest dreams did he expect that he would be sent to Cuzco to try and further stall Napoleon’s advance on the colony. Rationally he knew that it was because his wing was one of the few up for flying and untrained enough that the Aerial Corps wouldn’t mourn their loss. The only dragon they might regret losing was Ganymede, but the risk of letting the Sapa Inca ally herself with Napoleon was greater than the risk of losing one Longwing.

He looked up from his table and where the dragons had all curled on the ground. By the rough map he had been given, they were in Spanish territory. No one had tried to bother them or meet them, which was strange considering that they had been allies. Lelouch wasn’t sure if the alliance still held, a dangerous oversight. But he doubted that any of the native dragons would want to mess with the wing with two heavyweights and four middleweights. Igerna and Etatis might be the only ones that they would try to challenge, but the Roi-de-Vitesse and Grey Widowmaker tended to stick close to the larger dragons.

Currently, the two of them were coiled into tight curls on Guren’s back, the three of them napping. Shinkiro and Lancelot were in their usual tangle, Lelouch amused by the two dragons.

Shinkiro hadn’t been able to stand the idea of Lancelot while the Malachite Reaper had been in the egg. As far as the Celestial was concerned, Suzaku was his. It hadn’t mattered that Suzaku was no longer a fit companion for his status and that he had already chosen Lelouch. Suzaku had been with the dragon when he had hatched on the ship over and he had been around for every day after. Lelouch didn’t quite know what had changed Shinkiro’s mind, but it had been a recent thing, shortly before the plague had hit the Britannian dragons hard.

He had one clue, the times that he had seen both Shinkiro and Lancelot slinking back into the covert or wherever they had been camped late at night. Both dragons seemed loose limbed and content, but Lancelot always looked a bit guilty for being away for so long while Shinkiro looked smug. He had his suspicions about what the two of them were up to, but he couldn’t comment on it, not when he was doing the same to sneak some private moments with Suzaku.

Lelouch sighed and mopped at his brow with a dirty handkerchief, too desperate to wipe the sweat off of his face to worry about his appearance. It was better that he didn’t look too different from the rest of the group, especially when they were traveling through uneasy territory. There had been rumors through Britannia of revolution in Mexico, encouraged by the colonists that had fled from British rule after the failure of Washington’s Rebellion. Lelouch wouldn’t be surprised if Napoleon tried to encourage the rebellion to keep Britannia busy, which was even more reason to get to the Inca before the emperor of France did. That would be one less ally for Napoleon and one more to help them against any rebellion from Mexico.

He dropped the handkerchief to the table, tracing his finger over the route that they would have to take. It would be a couple more days of hard flying before they reached the border of the Incan Empire and then a month beyond that to reach Cuzco. They could make better time, but Lelouch didn’t want to push the dragons too hard. They had just recovered enough to be cleared to fly, and the warm weather seemed to be doing their lungs good. They could always pick up the pace when they got closer to Cuzco. Until then, the dragons would be allowed to nap during the heat of the day. That the captains and crews could nap too was something that he was willing to allow, especially since they made up the time by flying late into the evening.

Lelouch tapped his finger against Cuzco, scanning over the rest of the map. He’d been making minute adjustments as he had flown along on Shinkiro’s back, adjusting the map according to what he could see and what the dragons would call out. Lelouch was sure that Shinkiro would demand to see their work as soon as they landed for the night. The Celestial seemed to take pride in being able to make his mark on something, even if it was via Lelouch.

He sighed and sunk back into his chair. There hadn’t been much to fix on the flight to their camp, which meant that he had a few hours to himself. He knew that he should walk among his captains to check in on them, but the heat was making him lazy. As the formation leader and captain of the oldest dragon, Milly would have already made her sweep through them all. She must have decided that all was well because he could see her sprawled out in the shadow of Ganymede’s wing, her jacket under her head as a pillow and her shirt loose.

Lelouch quickly averted his eyes, aware of the blush that was spreading across his cheeks. He doubted that Milly would mind, she would probably just tease him about it. But she had grown up in coverts where any female was snatched up quickly in the hopes that they could make captain. Considering the generally sloppy order of the Aerial Corps, it was no wonder that she felt comfortable in whatever state of dress that she deemed necessary. Lelouch would never imagine telling her to stop, but he couldn’t quite quash the impulse to cover her up. It was a holdover from the royal court, one that he would probably shed by the time they reached Cuzco.

By that time, he would probably be acting like the rest of his wing, which isn’t something that he braced himself against. The Aerial Corps were far better company than any he got at the royal court.

“Lelouch?”

He turned his head at the sound of his name, Lelouch giving Suzaku a lazy wave. The captain stepped into his tent, not hesitating as he made his way over to Lelouch’s side.

Suzaku grabbed the other chair and pulled it over. He draped his arm over the back of Lelouch’s chair, leaning over to rest his head against Lelouch’s.

Lelouch wrinkled his nose, but didn’t bother to push Suzaku away. “You stink.”

“You barely smell better.”

Lelouch huffed, not willing to continue the act. It was too hot to pretend to be offended by the smell of sweat and dragons. He sighed and turned his head slightly, finding a more comfortably spot of contact. Lelouch closed his eyes, relaxing as Suzaku’s hand rested on his shoulder.

He should suggest that they move away from the table and to the cot that was towards the back of the tent, or to what shade the tangled mess of their two dragons could afford, but he wasn’t quite ready to move. Lelouch leaned further into Suzaku, his eyes fluttering open as he heard Suzaku laugh.

He couldn’t see what had made Suzaku laugh, but looking out at the dragons of his wing suited him just fine. Considering the view of the palace and the Aries Villa, he preferred the sight of the slumbering dragons more.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> _Current Dragons in the Wing:_  
> [Shinkiro - Male Celestial – Lelouch vi Britannia](http://naominovik.com/wiki/Celestial)  
> [Lancelot - Male Malachite Reaper - Suzaku Kururugi](http://naominovik.com/wiki/Malachite_Reaper)  
> [Ganymede - Male Longwing - Milly Ashford](http://naominovik.com/wiki/Longwing)  
> [Siegfried - Male Berghexe - Jeremiah Gottwald](http://naominovik.com/wiki/Berghexe)  
> [Igerna - Female Roi-de-Vitesse - Shirley Fenette](http://naominovik.com/wiki/Roi-de-Vitesse)  
> [Etatis - Female Grey Widowmaker - Rolo Haliburton](http://naominovik.com/wiki/Grey_Widowmaker)  
>  Guren - Female [Kazilk](http://naominovik.com/wiki/Kazilik)/[Regal Copper](http://naominovik.com/wiki/Regal_Copper) cross - Kallen Kozaki  
> [Lady Kaguya Sumeragi (this breed of dragon and relative position)](http://naominovik.com/wiki/Lady_Arikawa)


	4. Guardian of All Things

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Written for the prompt "hands".

“Memory is the treasury and guardian of all things.” – Marcus Tullius Cicero

* * *

 

Lelouch’s hands were a thing of beauty, thin and graceful like the lines of calligraphy that he could barely remember his mother doing. It was one thing to see them at rest, but it was another thing when Lelouch used them.

He talked with his hands, using them in sharp gestures and sweeping motions. Suzaku was almost afraid that anyone listening would pay more attention to Lelouch’s hands than what he was saying, not that Lelouch would let that happen. If anything, the motions made them pay more attention.

Charles vi Britannia had caught the attention of the world with his loud voice and the way he had emphasized his words by slamming his palms against the podium, but his son was the completely opposite. Lelouch’s voice would rise and fall with his hands, looking more like he was a wizard of legend than a man making a speech.

It wasn’t just when Lelouch was addressing his adoring public that his hands were in motion. There were always the soft touches, the way that Lelouch would wrap his fingers around Suzaku’s wrists or over the curve of a shoulder. The way that his fingers would curl over the ridge of Suzaku’s hip or smooth over his cheek and jaw. The way that a careful twitch either in the air or against Lelouch’s collar could bring Suzaku over to his side without a question.

Then there were the times outside of the public eye, the times when they were curled in the sheets of their bed or slid carefully into Suzaku or Lelouch himself. The way that those same hands were enough to reduce the two of them to the basest, most honest form of themselves.

Then there were all the times after, when those same hands and fingers would smooth over his body, catch his own hands and hold him close. Those were the times that Suzaku would gently hold Lelouch’s wrist so he could kiss Lelouch’s knuckles. It was a motion he had made thousands of time in public, but it meant more in private. It was all the unspoken promises that he could make to Lelouch, because most of them came close to breaching the subject that neither of them wanted to talk about.

It was easier to fill those spaces with kisses and purposefully meaningless conversations instead of imagining the moment that those hands would go still.


	5. Protectors of Sky and Water

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Voltron AU? Voltron AU. Written for the prompt "Rage and Serenity".

Suzaku turned as the doors slid open, breathing a sigh of relief when he saw Lelouch walk into the room. He saw Lelouch glance around the room, like he was cataloging what its purpose was. It was something that all of them were doing every time they moved around in the castle.

He reached out to run his hand over a line of lights that ran along the walls at waist height, watching as they turned blue under his glove before going back to a calming glow when he lifted his hand away. For a moment, Suzaku was almost sure that he heard the rumble of his lion, but he didn’t think too hard on it.

The blue lion was back down in its hanger, just like the others were. Their paladins were all finishing up lunch before they started the next exercise designed to help them form Voltron.

Suzaku clenched his hand into a fist, feeling his shoulders tense up at the thought.

He had no right to balk at the idea, not when he knew firsthand what the Britannian Empire could do. That the Britannians were continuing their slow, steady conquest, which meant more planets would be pulled under their thumb, which meant more pain and suffering. Suzaku had hoped to be able to mediate some of it if he had joined up with them, but then the blue lion had chosen him. Considering what the lion had shown him, it was impossible to turn around and just turn it in.

Considering that he had found Lelouch as their prisoner changed everything, as did the slaughter of everyone in the area of the blue lion.

He didn’t realize that his hands were shaking until he felt a hand close around one of his. Suzaku turned his head to look at Lelouch, breathing out slowly as Lelouch stepped towards him.

It was useless to resist the pull between the two of them, Suzaku knew that much already. He turned his head towards Lelouch, his breath hitching as Lelouch leaned in close.

Lelouch stopped just before he could kiss him, Suzaku seeing the spasm of regret pass over Lelouch’s face. They couldn’t not while there was a chance that someone else could walk in. For Lelouch’s sake, they had to keep all of that hidden, which was part of the problem.

Suzaku sighed and tipped his head so they could press their temples together before he leaned away. To his relief, Lelouch didn’t pull too far away. He could deal with the pretend distance between them, although he was sure that they were both failing in their promise to each other. As long as the rest of the paladins didn’t figure out how well he and Lelouch really knew each other, they would be alright. Just as long as they believed that this was the first flash of attraction and not the slow burn that came from knowing each other for seven years.

Lelouch sighed, his fingers working over Suzaku’s fist until it started to loosen. “I thought I would find you here.”

“It’s one of the few places I know.”

That got Lelouch to grin. “The castle too big for you.”

“I haven’t really gotten the time to explore. I pretty much passed out as soon as we were done with the ship and then we were woken up early with the drill. Besides, it wouldn’t be the same without you tagging along.”

“I want to. I really do.” Lelouch bit his lip, Suzaku tempted to lean over at kiss Lelouch. But he held himself back as Lelouch shook his head. “But I think Princess Kaguya will want me to stick close. She seems to be leaning on both Chiba and I.”

Suzaku sucked in a breath at the mention of the original paladin, hating himself for the tell. Then again, Lelouch would have known it immediately. They knew each other too well for that.

Lelouch squeezed his hand. “She’s not a danger.”

“No. She just wants her paladins back, but we both know where they are.”

For a moment, it looked like Lelouch was going to argue, but he eventually nodded. What Suzaku had said was close enough to the truth. They might not have known exactly where the rest of the original paladins were, but they knew who had taken them. There had been plenty of signs of a Britannian scouting force that must have marched through the castle sometime in the past ten thousand years. Suzaku didn’t know how obvious that the other paladin’s pods had been, but he was amazed that there had been any pods left to greet them when they had brought the blue lion in.

Suzaku nodded slowly in return. There was no question that the paladins were with the Britannian Empire, it was just a matter of where. And the Emperor would waste no time in ordering them to be hidden once he got the news that Voltron had been assembled again. Until the rest of the team could figure it out on their own, it was dangerous for both him and Lelouch. They would have to tread carefully.

He took a deep breath, leaning into Lelouch for a moment before stepping away. He felt Lelouch try to hold onto him, but Lelouch was quick to let go. Suzaku turned to look at Lelouch, trying to see Lelouch as someone who had only met him in the Britannian prison pod.

In his armor it was a little easier to forget that Lelouch was the eleventh prince of the Britannian empire, but he still looked like the boy that Suzaku had spent a few summers with before the empire had swept in and taken Lelouch away again. Then again, the entire empire knew that Prince Lelouch vi Britannia was dead, no one would look twice at Lelouch Lamperouge, especially when he had been a prisoner of the empire. It was a brilliant cover, but it could only go on for too long. The rest of the paladins would find out eventually, but Suzaku could only hope that they discovered the secret at a good moment instead of a dangerous one. But his luck had never been the best.

“Chiba wants to do something that will meld our minds.”

“Ah.” Lelouch’s face fell for a moment before he shook his head. “So we have to lie in our minds as well? Fair enough. Then we don’t share everything.”

“Lelouch!”

“What’s our alternative? Do you think that they will trust me if they know I’m a Britannian prince? Do you think they’ll trust you when they find out that you killed your father and basically helped Britannia invade your planet? Kallen sure won’t.”

Suzaku flinched at the reminder, taking a step back.

Lelouch remained tense for a moment before he shook his head. He took a step forward, cupping Suzaku’s cheeks. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have pushed.”

“It doesn’t stop it from being true.”

“No. But we’re allies in this.” One of Lelouch’s hand moved to rest on the back of Suzaku’s neck. “Suzaku, this could be our chance to make sure Britannia is stopped. We can make sure no other planets get taken over.”

“We can’t even form Voltron.”

“We’ll learn. And then we’ll find them, all four of them. If you want to pass the blue lion back to Shōgo Asahina then you can.”

“But what will you do?”

Lelouch went silent, his head cocked like he was listening to something. It was a motion that Suzaku was quickly getting used to from the other paladins when their lions were talking to them. He had never imagined that the black lion was talkative, but it was apparently reaching out for Lelouch.

There was no question that their lions knew, and they had picked them anyway. Suzaku didn’t know if the other lions knew and if that meant that the other paladins knew. He couldn’t broach the subject without giving away too much, and he was sure that it was too early for any of that information to be talked about. If they couldn’t form Voltron now, then there would be no chance after he and Lelouch told the rest of them anything.

Lelouch shook his head, coming back to himself with a slow blink. He cleared his throat, looking embarrassed that he had let his attention drift. “They’re going to start soon. So you have to make your choice. Just know that I’ll stand with you no matter what.”

Suzaku bit his lip, looking around the room. He wanted to help, wanted to push back the Britannian Empire. He had seen enough of the suffering and anguish that it caused to know that the peace that they offered the galaxy was a false one. That was more important than any reservations that he had. The galaxy needed Voltron, which needed the blue lion. Until Asahina had been found, then Suzaku was the only choice.

He looked at the stylized V on Lelouch’s chest, reaching out to press his hand against it. He felt Lelouch start with the touch, Suzaku ignoring it in favor of sliding his hand over Lelouch’s heart. “Alright, we’ll go with your plan.”

Lelouch reached up to hold Suzaku’s hand, keeping it pressed against his chest even as the door opened.

Suzaku jumped at the sound, turning to see Kallen standing in the doorway. His first instinct was to stammer out an excuse, but Lelouch wouldn’t let him step away and Kallen just raised an eyebrow. She leaned against the doorway before shaking her head.

“Please tell me you two can keep from thinking about each other when we do the mind thing, because I don’t want to know.”

The statement surprised a laugh out of Suzaku, Kallen just rolling her eyes and walking off. It was only when she had gone that Lelouch released his hand.

He was surprised when Lelouch leaned forward to kiss his cheek, Suzaku feeling a blush spreading across his face. Lelouch just smiled and brushed his fingers over Suzaku’s cheek. “Together we can do anything.”

Suzaku could only nod, watching Lelouch leave before he could managed to get himself to move forward.

Lelouch was right, they had no other choice but to hold things back. Eventually a time would come to clear the air and Suzaku could only hope that the rest of the paladins would be forgiving.


	6. The Weaker Man

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Written for the prompt "A kingdom or this."

“A king maker would always choose the weaker man. The weaker the man, the easier he is to control.” - _Prince’s Gambit_ , C. S. Pacat

* * *

 

Suzaku stumbled as he was pushed forward, ignoring the way that the guard snickered. They were probably glad to have him under their control after staring at him in awe.

He was Suzaku Kururugi, Knight of Zero, the man who had defeated the Knights of the Round on his own, the man who had fought the Knight of Three and Kallen Kozuki and lived despite the explosion of his Knightmare. He was the man who had attempted to kill Emperor Charles. The man who had stood by Lelouch when the eleventh prince had taken the throne.

Being the man who had stood beside Lelouch when the eleventh prince had lost it all was probably less impressive. That or watching him for weeks straight had made him lose some of his mystic power.

Suzaku didn’t know which one it was, but he doubted that it had mattered. He had only been kept alive because Schneizel hadn’t known what to do with him. That had been obvious from the moment that he had been found. The guards hadn’t known what to make of the man that should be dead, and Schneizel had just kept him locked up. It was obvious that Schneizel had planned the separation from Lelouch, but Suzaku hadn’t been able to tell until Schneizel had gotten the time to talk to him. He’d been made to stand in an anti-room and listen as Schneizel had questioned Lelouch, probably to try and soften him up. It hadn’t worked because he was being paraded through the cell blocks with Schneizel trailing in the rear.

He turned his head to look at the guards that were falling in behind them, automatically checking the weapons that they carried before he shook his head. There was no point in trying to fight, because he and Lelouch had been well and truly beat. He would have been willing to wait for Lelouch’s orders, but Suzaku doubted that he would be getting any. He had heard that much from Lelouch’s interview with Schneizel.

He clenched his hands into fists, ignoring the jingle of the chains around his wrists. He wished that he had managed to get word to Lelouch through one of the guards or even through C.C, but he hadn’t seen the woman for weeks. She had probably hidden herself away as soon as the battle and turned away from Lelouch’s favor. He didn’t blame her for it, she was probably the best chance they had at turning the situation around. It was just a matter of waiting for her to come for them, but Suzaku was sure that time was running out for the two of them. C.C. had to hurry up if she was going to do anything.

“Stop here.”

Suzaku gritted his teeth as he was jerked to a stop. The guard to his left tightened her hold on his arm, Suzaku not sure why she was holding him in place as Schneizel moved by them. He wasn’t about to attack Schneizel, not while he was dangerously outnumbered and he didn’t quite have the full situation. Besides, even if he did manage to get away from his guards and get Lelouch out of the cell, Suzaku doubted that he would get far.

He rolled his shoulder, shooting the woman a look when she didn’t let go of his arm. He didn’t have more time to try and get her to let go of him because Schneizel had stepped in front of the cell. He couldn’t see into the cell, but Suzaku was sure that it was the purpose. It was still a game between the two half-brothers, and he would be the move used to get Lelouch to break.

Suzaku heard someone moving in the cell, his heart pounding faster when he heard Lelouch’s voice. “I thought we’d come to an agreement, Schneizel.”

“I don’t remember it being much of an agreement.” There was a pause, Suzaku sure that Lelouch was grinning.

Schneizel seemed content to let Lelouch gloat. The prince rocked back on his heels, glancing over at Suzaku before he sighed. “Then let me explain myself one more time. You’ve lost, even you can’t argue that.” The scoff that Lelouch gave said that Lelouch thought otherwise, but Schneizel didn’t seem to let that get to him. “I’ve been holding the throne under the title of Prime Minister because the Senate won’t allow the crown to be conferred on anyone else. I suppose you used some sort of geass, which means I need your explicit order.”

“Which I won’t give you.”

“As you told me many times.”

“And threatening Nunnally won’t get you anything. You can’t hurt her if you need her to be empress.”

“I realize that, but I was hoping to offer you a reward for your cooperation.” Schneizel turned to gesture at the guards.

Suzaku was shoved forward, stumbling before he managed to catch himself. The guards kept pressing him to move forward, Suzaku following the pressure even as Lelouch spoke up. “What could you possibly offer…”

Lelouch’s mouth dropped open as Suzaku was dragged in front of the cell. He stared at Suzaku for a moment before rushing up to the front of the cell and resting his palms against the plastic. “Suzaku.”

Suzaku smiled, taking a step forward. He was surprised that he was allowed to move at all, but he wasn’t going to question it when he was allowed to step forward and press his palms up against the front of the cell. “Lelouch.”

Lelouch looked him over, Suzaku seeing Lelouch’s shoulders twitch like he was going to laugh or cry, but he held himself back. He glanced over towards the section of the cell that would open up and then back up at Schneizel. “Where?”

“We found him just after the Lancelot exploded. He wasn’t badly injured.”

“You didn’t tell me.”

Schneizel just smiled. “We were busy seeing to Sir Kururugi’s health. It’s a miracle that he survived.”

Suzaku shot Schneizel a disgruntled look, not that the man bothered to acknowledge it. He had been taken care of, if being kept in a room off to one side of the temporary government buildings was considered being taken care of. The way that Schneizel was talking made it sound like he had been near death instead of the planned bail out. And Lelouch should have known that, but he was looking at Suzaku like he was a miracle.

He shook his head at Lelouch, not sure if Lelouch got the message. Lelouch just stared at him, his fingers curling on the front of the cell. “Open the door, Schneizel. I promise that I won’t escape. I’ll swear it on Nunnally if you want me to. Just…open the door.”

Schneizel considered his younger brother for a moment before sighing. “No.”

Lelouch jerked like he’d been slapped. “Schneizel-”

“Not until you give me your word. Britannia can’t hold with the state that you left things, and Nunnally and I need to get to work.” Schneizel leaned his shoulder against the cell, looking between the two of them.

Suzaku’s first instinct was to lean closer to Lelouch, trying to protect his friend. He saw Schneizel’s eyebrows raise, like the prince was trying to work out why Suzaku would be so loyal.

He finally shook his head and walked over to the control panel, his hand hovering over the surface. Schneizel looked back over at Lelouch, giving his half-brother a slow nod. “I’d be willing to allow you some time with your knight, but only if we can reach an agreement.”

Lelouch cursed, but he didn’t move away from his place by the wall. If anything his fingers curled more against the glass. Suzaku mirrored the move, at a loss of what to do.

It was a good strategy, one that Suzaku had braced himself for once he had come to the morning after he had been captured. Schneizel would bargain with him to get everything he wanted out of Lelouch. He was ready to be hauled to and from the cell and granted intervals with Lelouch until his friend finally caved, as he would. Lelouch was up against Schneizel and against Nunnally. More than that, all his plans had fallen apart so Lelouch was probably shaken. Even the months between wouldn’t have helped because all Lelouch could do was calculate and hope that Schneizel didn’t put him in check.

Suzaku leaned forward to press his forehead against the cell front, closing his eyes as Schneizel started to speak again. “I am willing to grant you some visits with Sir Kururugi, thirty minutes a day until Nunnally’s coronation.”

“And what happens after?”

“Despite your atrocities, Nunnally insists that we don’t kill you. She wants to talk to you, in a controlled environment of course. I’ve asked her what comes after and she’s hoped that you will behave yourself so you can be kept under house arrest, you and Sir Kururugi both. You’ll be under guard and kept in Pendragon at all times, but you’ll be alive.” Schneizel hummed to himself, Suzaku twitching at the sound. “We haven’t discussed what will happen if you’re less than helpful, so that’s up to me. So consider your answer carefully.”

Suzaku opened his eyes at the soft noise that Lelouch made, meeting his friend’s gaze. Lelouch’s eyes were wide and they were constantly moving between him and Schneizel.

It wouldn’t be a bluff, Schneizel was too hard pressed to waste time bluffing Lelouch. He wouldn’t have bothered to play his trump card of bringing Suzaku down to see Lelouch. There was an implicit threat in Suzaku’s presence, and one that Lelouch would have to weigh carefully with everything that was going on. But it was obvious that Lelouch was in no shape for thinking. He was staring at Suzaku like he would promise everything away. After all, Schneizel had been the one to fire on Pendragon without any hesitation and to use Nunnally for his own ends. It wouldn’t be too much to a stretch to think that Schneizel would kill him as soon as he wasn’t useful. And, if there was anything that would get Lelouch to act without thinking, it would be to threaten someone that he cared about.

The problem was that Lelouch would throw away all that they had worked for and without a single security. Schneizel could promise his safety as long as Lelouch cooperated, but Suzaku didn’t know what parameters that the third prince would establish. That there was no telling what Schneizel would be able to wring out of Nunnally with the concession. There were too many catches that they didn’t know and Lelouch wouldn’t consider until it was too late.

And finally, and most importantly, there was no way that Schneizel would do anything to help end the Britannian Empire. Nunnally might push and shove, but she wouldn’t be able to gain traction. The Senate knew Schneizel and knew what Schneizel could do. Nunnally had only been viceroy of Area 11 and with few results. It would be easy for Schneizel to swing everything his way, and then the Areas wouldn’t be free. They wouldn’t be held under such a tight rein, but they wouldn’t be free. Neither he nor Lelouch had given up so much just for half measures.

He drummed his fingers against the plastic, watching as Lelouch looked back at him. It was obvious that Lelouch had already thought it all over, and that Lelouch was on the way to justifying giving it all up for the chance at his safety. It was something that Suzaku wouldn’t allow.

“You promised me, Lelouch.”

Lelouch jerked like he’d been shot. For a moment, it looked like he wanted to argue, but Suzaku didn’t let him. He _couldn’t_.

He shook his head, pressing his palm hard against the plastic. “Or was that another one of your lies?”

It took a moment for Lelouch to understand, and then it was horrible to watch it cross his face. Lelouch curled slightly in on himself, but he didn’t move his hands away from they were pressed against the front of the cell. Suzaku was careful to hold Lelouch’s gaze through it all, because one of them had to be sure. As long as he didn’t bend to Schniezel’s whims, then Lelouch couldn’t hide behind any excuses and do what he had to.

In the end, his life didn’t matter, he had already given it up for Zero Requiem. The fact that they wouldn’t be able to carry it out didn’t mean a thing.

Lelouch made a sound that could have bit a cut off sob, but it was at odds with the anger that showed on his face. “Damn you, Suzaku.”

Suzaku offered Lelouch a smile, sure that Lelouch didn’t see much of it. The prince was too busy wheeling on his half-brother and glaring at Schneizel, but one of Lelouch’s hands remained pressed against the plastic. “My answer is no.”

The corner of Schneizel’s mouth twitched up, but the third prince nodded. His hand dropped away from the panel. “Alright, Lelouch.”

Lelouch glared at Schneizel, the hand still on the plastic shaking visibly. Suzaku curled his fingers slightly, wishing that he could hold Lelouch’s hand to keep him steady. He could just lean against the cell and offer his support that way.

Schneizel nodded slowly before motioning to the guards. “Restrain Sir Kururugi and take him out back. And send for Clemet’s squad.” Schneizel met Suzaku’s gaze. “Apparently, I overestimated your usefulness.”

Suzaku’s stomach twisted at the statement, his eyes widening. Schneizel took his surprise in stride, stepping away from the door panel. “I see no reason to keep two dangerous prisoners in place. It’s time to answer for your crimes, Sir Kururugi.”

The guards reached out to yank him back, Suzaku scrambling for a hold on the wall before he was pulled completely away. The female guard had her hand on his arm again. Suzaku turned to shout at her, but his attention was pulled away when he heard the pained sound that Lelouch made.

He turned back towards the cell, automatically trying to reach for a weapon even as Lelouch threw himself at the front of the cell in front of Schneizel. “No! You promised no harm would come to us.”

“Nunnally promised that no harm would come to the two of you and it was conditional on you cooperating.” Schneizel waved to the guards, taking his own time in stepping away from the cell.

Lelouch was still throwing himself against the front of the cell, slapping his hand against it. “Schneizel!”

“Just remember, Lelouch, you did this to him.” Schneizel turned on his heel, moving past the guards even as he gave them their orders. “Get him out of here.”

The guards all bowed before starting to tow him back, shock keeping Suzaku from moving with them on his own. He knew that he should be horrified by the betrayal, but he could only feel relief because it meant that he wouldn’t be sitting in a room and worrying about what was happening. But he was also held still by the sound of Lelouch screaming.

“Schneizel, bring him back! I’ll do anything, just don’t hurt him! Please Schneizel, bring him back!”

Schneizel and the guards didn’t seem to hear Lelouch, they just kept shoving Suzaku down the hall. He tried to twist to see Lelouch, but the guards were quick to push him forward so he couldn’t look back. All the while, the female guard kept her tight hold on his arm, no matter how much Suzaku tried to shake her off.

He turned to glare at her, surprised when she turned to meet his eyes. It was hard to see her face behind her visor, but a flick of her head had some of her hair falling free from the helmet. Suzaku looked from the strand of long green hair to the red headed female guard to his other side, and grinned.


	7. A Man I Was Supposed to Meet

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sequel to day 6 because I felt bad about the cliffhanger. Written for the prompt "outside looking in."

“‘There was a man I was supposed to meet. He’s got all these ideas about honour and fair play, and he tries to keep me from doing the wrong thing.’” – _Kings Rising_ , C.S. Pacat

* * *

 

Lelouch leaned back against the back wall of his cell, staring at the wall opposite. There were parts that were hard to see through the smears of red on the plastic at the front of the cell, but he didn’t care.

He had lost track of the time that had passed since he had heard the shots go off.

Some part of him knew that the sound had to have been deliberately broadcast to him, but most of his attention had gone to keeping track of how much time has passed between when he heard the last shot and now. He was sure that the attempt was futile from the start, because he hadn’t started counting until long after the execution had been over. He had been too busy screaming and trying to batter his way out of his cell with his own body. It hadn’t mattered that he wouldn’t have been able to get to Suzaku in time, nothing had mattered in those horrible moments afterward.

Lelouch wasn’t sure that anything still mattered, but he was still too angry to admit defeat. He’d been so close to the end, so close to making everything right and it had been taken away from him.

He slumped forward, running his hands through his hair and then down his face. He felt the sticky remains of blood on his hands and the all-consuming ache of his shoulder, but those were easy to ignore. He’d been ignoring them since he had sat down against the back wall.

Lelouch dropped his hands back into his lap, going back to staring at the opposite wall.

Schneizel had well and truly outmaneuvered him, he had to admit that much. He had been far too cocky when he had taken the Damocles, and Schneizel had used that to his advantage. His half-brother had used everything at his fingertips masterfully. He had Nunnally firmly on his side, his sister working hard to create the perfect world he had tried to make for her. Lelouch tried to conjure up an idea of what to expect from her, but he couldn’t think beyond how Schneizel hemmed him in. Nunnally on one side and Suzaku on the other.

He could either give in and give the entire country over to Nunnally and, therefore Schneizel. Or hold on, save Nunnally and give Suzaku over to Schneizel.

Lelouch supposed that it didn’t matter anymore, because he had made his choice. The choice had been made for him before he could even work through a plan. He had been too busy trying to see what he could do with the choices that Schneizel had laid before him when Suzaku had given him a serious look and he hadn’t been able to say no.

_“You promised me, Lelouch. Or was that another one of your lies?”_

Lelouch curled up on himself, his hands shaking as he reached up to bury them in his hair. He hadn’t been able to say no, he knew that. He and Suzaku had sacrificed too much to just give everything over to Schneizel. But he was sure that Suzaku had thought that Lelouch was just giving up the chance for the two of them to see each other, because that was what Lelouch had thought. He hadn’t thought that Schneizel would throw away his bargaining tool so early. But he had, and Lelouch knew that he should have been working out his next counter.

Instead, he was trapped between the need to keep screaming or giving into the despair that was lapping at the edges of his mind. The latter would certainly be easier. He wouldn’t feel the slow progress in time through the cells, nor would he be able to start the count of the days either from when he had been defeated or from the day that Schneizel had killed Suzaku; he didn’t want to know those numbers. It would also allow him to ignore Schneizel.

He doubted that Schneizel really needed him anymore. He had refused what seemed like a perfectly acceptable plan, which meant that Schneizel could return to Nunnally and the Senate full of apologies and new ideas. Lelouch was sure that someone would bite, especially since months had passed since he had been defeated in Japan. The Senate would be desperate to get Britannia up and running again. The fact that Schneizel had killed Suzaku wouldn’t even signify to them, because they had thought that Suzaku had been dead this entire time. Suzaku had been a secret weapon masterfully used, and it made Lelouch want to scream despite his raw throat.

He squeezed his eyes shut, trying to control his breathing as it sped up. He had gambled with everything, as he had to, but he had lost everything in the worst way possible. His sister was lost to him and the only thing remaining of his best friend was a slightly smeared handprint on the other side of the wall. Lelouch didn’t dare to look up at it, not when he was completely aware of his fractured edges. He felt like he was one breath away from losing what tenuous grip he had on reality.

Lelouch didn’t know how long he sat curled against the wall, time had lost all meaning when Suzaku had been dragged away from him. All he knew was that it had been a while because no guards had passed since Schneizel had visited him.

He listened as footsteps made their way down the hall, not surprised that they stopped in front of his cell. He was sure that the front looked like something out of a horror movie, but he was beyond caring. The guards would probably pass on to continue their duties and the word would get back to Schneizel. Then his older brother would know that he had broken. Knowing Schneizel, he would be back down later in the hopes to get something else out of Lelouch and he would give it. There was no question of resistance anymore.

Lelouch opened his eyes as he heard the door to his cell slide open. He didn’t come out of his curl, preferring to wait and listen. The guards seemed to have the same idea because he heard them move into the room and stop. He dug his nails into his scalp, holding himself still otherwise.

He hadn’t expected Schneizel to move so quickly, but he should have known better than to underestimate his older brother. Technically, he wasn’t useful anymore. Schneizel could have assembled the Senate already and he was just waiting to drag Lelouch out in front of him to give the order to make Nunnally the empress. Then, he probably would have been dragged out to the same place that Suzaku had been and shot.

The silence dragged on, Lelouch quickly losing his patience when the guards seemed to want to do nothing more than stare. He jerked his head up, looking between the two guards before snarling out, “What do you want?”

The guards didn’t speak, they just looked at each other before moving forward. One brought out a bag while the other held up a pair of handcuffs. The sight of them made Lelouch want to relax, because they could just secure his straight jacket, but maybe they didn’t want to bother with the buckles. The reason for the bag was obvious. Lelouch doubted that everyone would believe the stories about geass, but he was sure that Schneizel would insist that the guards take preventative steps.

He glared at them, not bothering to put up a fight when they dropped the bag over his head and then hauled him forward to cuff him. Lelouch twitched, trying to fight back for a moment before the guard pushed him more firmly against the floor. He gave up after that, letting the two of them manhandle him into position. There would be a more opportune moment for him to act, if he even felt like acting at all. It was horribly disorientating to have everything that he had worked for be rendered useless and to have everything that he cared about pulled away from him at the same time.

The guards pulled him to his feet, Lelouch stumbling as he tried to follow the motion. The guards were gracious enough to wait until he had gotten his feet under him before they started shoving him out the door of the cell.

He lifted his head, trying to peer through the rough weave of the bag to see where they were going, but he soon gave up. It was easier to let himself be tugged along and maneuvered through the halls of the cells.

Lelouch let his head drop slightly, his eyes closing. It didn’t matter where he was going, because he knew what would happen. Maybe he would get angry enough when he saw Schneizel’s face to do something, but even that thought exhausted him. What he wanted was to go back to his cell and be left alone. What he wanted beyond that was Suzaku, but he wouldn’t be getting his friend back.

He drifted along in his thoughts, not bothering to keep track of where they were going until he was nudged into the back of a car. He perked up briefly as his limbs were guided into the backseat of the car, but he quickly calmed down. Schneizel would keep everything silent and probably make up a lie like he had for the death of Zero. It might even be the same one, that he’d sustained injuries during his last battle. Lelouch was sure that there wouldn’t be a story about his heroic struggle to the end, it would probably be short and unremarkable and then the world could forget about the brief and disastrous reign of Lelouch vi Britannia.

Lelouch slumped back into the seat, listening to the car as it rumbled along the roads. He couldn’t quite get his bearings, but he was more than happy to let himself be taken away, at least until the road changed from smooth to rough.

The first jolt made him sit up abruptly. Lelouch looked around before he could stop himself. He couldn’t see anything with the hood over his head, but he was sure that Schneizel would have met with the Senate somewhere in the city. His older brother would want to work quietly, but not so quietly that everyone might have cause to doubt him.

Lelouch grumbled to himself, testing the cuffs before leaning forward. “Where are you taking me?”

The guards didn’t answer.

The uneven road didn’t help either, Lelouch jolting around until the car came to an abrupt stop. He twisted to catch himself against the front seats, gasping when he landed on his sore shoulder. He thought he heard the guards pause at the sound, but then the two front doors slammed shut.

Lelouch gritted his teeth and pushed away from the seat just in time for the back door to open. He wasn’t sure if he imagined that the guards were being more careful with him, but he didn’t have the chance to linger over it. Without the drone of the engine and the buzz of his own pain he could hear people talking in the background, a mix of Britannian, Japanese and Chinese that startled him.

He jerked his head up, standing frozen in place. It was nothing like what he expected. He expected to hear the Britannian Senate or maybe his sister’s voice. He expected to hear Schneizel whispering to him, his older brother trying to get him to agree to one last deal before he had to play everything in his hand. He hadn’t expected this.

The cuffs fell from his hands with a click, Lelouch about to turn around and demand to know what was going on when someone caught his shoulders. Their touch was firmer on his uninjured shoulder and it was just long enough to get his attention. Then the hands were moving away from his shoulders and to the bag over his head.

It was pulled free in a single yank, Lelouch cursing and raising an arm to cover his eyes. He squinted in the light, breathing quickly when he heard the voices pick up. The unknown was perhaps more intimidating that walking up to the Senate and listening to them discuss his abdication and eventual death.

He took a few deep breaths before lowering his arm, all of his air leaving him in a rush when he saw the woman standing in front of him. “C.C.”

She grinned at him and tucked the bag in her belt. She reached up to pat his cheek. “You’re more trouble than you’re worth.”

“Then why didn’t you just leave me there?”

“We have a contract.” Her thumb smoothed over his cheekbone before she stepped away, nodding at where Kallen was pulling her helmet off. “Besides, the Black Knights weren’t done with you yet. Apparently, Schneizel is in the habit of making bad deals.”

Lelouch glanced at her before stepping forward, his heart pounding when he saw the assembled Black Knights waiting for him. None of them seemed completely happy to see him there and there were fewer members than he remembered, but it was a start. He looked over them, nodding slowly. “They want the same thing.”

“We don’t want to be used as cannon fodder.” Kallen tossed the helmet to the ground, turning to glare at him. “And you’re only here because she,” Kallen pointed back at C.C, “convinced us that you were our best chance. Apparently, you’re the only one who can beat him. Consider yourself on probation until we decide what to do with you.”

Lelouch huffed, watching as Kallen turned on her heel to go back to where the rest of the Black Knights were waiting. He glanced over the others, seeing the same wary look on their faces. Lelouch shook his head and looked back at C.C. “You rescued me from one prison to put me in another?”

C.C. shrugged. “At least they won’t try to kill you here. It looks like you had a rough time with Schneizel.”

Lelouch swallowed and looked down at his hands, staring at the lines of the cuts and the dried blood. He shook his head, about to tell her that he had done it to himself when he heard C.C. move in front of him.

He looked up at her, confused by the way that she patted his good shoulder before leaning in and kissing his forehead. She lifted her hand away as she stepped back. “I’ll let you two catch up.”

She walked away before Lelouch could ask her anything else. He kept staring after her until he heard the scrape of a boot on the floor. Lelouch tensed before turning around, feeling like the breath was knocked out of him when he saw who was standing behind him.

It was Suzaku. Suzaku, alive and breathing and there.

Lelouch wasn’t sure if he made a sound, but he couldn’t bring himself to care, not when Suzaku was striding towards him.

He practically threw himself into Suzaku, reaching around to cling to him. He felt Suzaku tense at the obvious show of affection, but he didn’t care. He could hear Suzaku’s heart beating and feel the rise and fall of Suzaku’s chest. Lelouch curled his fingers into Suzaku’s clothes, getting a better grip on his friend.

It took a moment for Suzaku to respond, Lelouch sighing as Suzaku wrapped his arms around him. “Hey.”

“You don’t get to make a decision like that again.”

“Even if this one was a right one?”

“I don’t care.” Lelouch forced the words out. “I don’t…I can’t…”

Suzaku seemed to understand. He leaned his head forward to rest his forehead against Lelouch’s.

It was ridiculous how much that little motion was able to relax him, but Lelouch didn’t feel up to working through the sensation. It was far more important to cling to Suzaku and reassure himself that everything was still in place. That he wouldn’t wake up to find that he was back in the cell, with Suzaku dead.

He sighed as he felt Suzaku’s hand smooth up and down his back. The sound of the Black Knights were talking among themselves had started to filter back in, Lelouch closing his eyes as he tried to ignore them. Tomorrow he would listen to what they wanted him to do but, for now, he just wanted to reassure himself that Suzaku was alright.


End file.
